I enjoyed reading this book a lot. I especially appreciated the characters. Finn and Chloe's flaws made them realistic, relatable and dramatic but they remained heroic and I found myself rooting for them throughout the book. With many newer authors -- and young kid's superhero cartoons -- I find this isn't the case in that they instead provide protagonists that are perfect good guys overcoming obstacle after obstacle. I also think the story is exciting and in some ways fast-paced, while still taking the time to keep up suspense and develop the story. This was especially nice since in some ways the story headed gradually towards a somewhat cliche jewelry heist plot. But with the clever, balanced development and character-focused narration, I think it avoided being cliche and instead offers a very original experience.

At the risk of making a truly terrible pun, I found the book good but thin in places. I loved that Chloe and Finn were more realistically-flawed and developed than many protagonists. The story was fun, the descriptive writing was enjoyable, and the book had enough unique elements to avoid feeling stale. But, I would have loved to see more development of the minor characters and more background on the narrative tale. Duke, for example, just appeared in Chloe's life before Finn even meets Chloe. The book never satisfactorily explains why Duke thought Chloe could lead him to a treasure she originally knew nothing about or what he was initially planning. Similarly, at the end of the book, characters like Chloe's mother, Jacob, Butch, and even Finn's father remain bare sketches or caricatures. There is very little back story regarding how Chloe's father became involved in the jewel saga or how the jewels ended up where they were. Overall, the underdeveloped minor characters and plot points make what could have been a great book only good.

I would give it 3 starts. I would recommend it to someone who is looking for a quick read. It was predictable yet kept you interested. I, like others, liked the fact that the characters were flawed in ways like normal people. I could see many people in my life that have went through similar circumstances with being in jail and losing a father to death row. I do wish that there was a little more background and development of some of the minor characters. It moved really fast. There were times that I had to stop and ask myself what just happened? It was short and sweet. Overall a good book.